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Safeguarding

How to raise a concern about a student's safety, the boundaries of our study tools, and the safeguarding arrangements that need confirmation.

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1.Our commitment

BizTeach is built by a teacher for teenagers, and the safety and welfare of every student who uses it comes first. We recognise our responsibilities under the Children First Act 2015 and Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017), and we design the product, our processes and our AI coach around them.

BizTeach is an online study tool, not a school, a childcare service or a substitute for adult supervision. Students remain under the care of their parents, guardians and schools while they use it.

2.Designated Liaison Person

Our Designated Liaison Person (DLP) for child protection is Wendy Smyth, Founder [to confirm; name a deputy DLP too]. The DLP is the point of contact for any safeguarding concern about a BizTeach user and is responsible for reporting to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and to An Garda Síochána where required.

Contact the DLP at support@bizteach.ie. If a child is in immediate danger, call 112 or 999 first.

3.How BizTeach is designed for safety

  • BizTeach is a study service, not a public social network. School-linked accounts may make relevant student information available to authorised school roles; this is separate from public profiles or student-to-student messaging.
  • No advertising, and no data sold or shared for marketing.
  • Minimal data. We collect only what the service needs, following the Data Protection Commission's Fundamentals for a Child-Oriented Approach. See our Privacy notice.
  • Guardian approval applies where consent is the lawful basis for an under-16 student's use of an online feature. School-provisioned arrangements must explain their own responsibilities and lawful basis.
  • Biz stays on topic. Our AI coach only answers questions about Leaving Certificate Business and is built to decline personal, medical, sexual, violent or otherwise inappropriate content.
  • Reported AI replies may require review by authorised personnel. The reviewer roles, access reasons, retention and escalation procedure still need confirmation. Infrastructure security monitoring is not continuous human review of student conversations.

4.If a student is worried or upset

Biz is designed to direct students with personal safety concerns towards a trusted adult and support services rather than provide counselling. AI can miss or misunderstand a disclosure. Do not rely on typing a message to Biz to alert a safeguarding lead or obtain emergency help; automatic notification and staffed escalation have not been confirmed. Raise a concern directly using the contact below.

Support available in Ireland, free and confidential:

  • Childline (ISPCC): call 1800 66 66 66 or use the online chat at childline.ie. Free support for children and young people, available 24 hours a day.
  • Samaritans: call 116 123, any time.
  • Text About It: visit textaboutit.ie for free WhatsApp support, or text 086 1800 280 by SMS. Standard SMS rates may apply to the 086 number. Support is available 24 hours a day.
  • Jigsaw youth mental health: jigsaw.ie.
  • Emergency: 112 or 999.

5.Reporting a concern

Anyone, including a student, parent, guardian or teacher, can raise a concern about a BizTeach user's safety or about something they saw on BizTeach. Email support@bizteach.ie with as much detail as you can: what happened, when, who was involved (a username is enough) and any screenshots. You do not need to be certain; if you are worried, tell us.

The safeguarding procedure must identify who receives and records reports, how they assess concerns, and when referral to Tusla or An Garda Síochána is required. The named lead, deputy, cover arrangements and procedure remain to be confirmed. Information about a concern may need to be shared with the relevant authorities; confidentiality cannot be absolute.

BizTeach support is not an emergency service and is not continuously monitored. If a child is in immediate danger, call 112 or 999. Do not wait for a response from BizTeach.

Concerns about a child that are unrelated to BizTeach should go directly to Tusla (tusla.ie, 'Report a concern') or the Gardaí.

6.Our people

The controller must confirm the applicable vetting requirements, completed checks, Children First training, confidentiality obligations and permitted access for each role before assigning safeguarding review duties. This statement does not certify that every staff member has completed those checks; the staffing and training evidence remains to be confirmed.

7.For schools, teachers and parents

Schools using BizTeach with a class keep their own Children First obligations and their own Child Safeguarding Statement. We will support schools with any information they need from us.

For guidance on keeping young people safe online, we recommend Webwise (webwise.ie), the Department of Education's internet safety initiative, and CyberSafeKids (cybersafekids.ie).

8.Review

We review this statement at least once a year, after any significant incident, and before any major change to the product. The date at the top shows the latest version.